1894 Pelham School Budget Vote: Stage Coach Authorized To Transport Pelham Students in Days Before Autos and Buses

One hundred and twenty years ago, on Tuesday, August 9, 1894, the Pelham School Board held its annual meeting and voted appropriations including salaries for teachers and district employees totaling $4,830. During the meeting, the Board reported that total receipts for the previous year were $9,358.59 while total expenditures were $8,403.95 (leaving a surplus of $954.64).

One of the more interesting issues addressed in the meeting was the need to send more advanced pupils who were attending the tiny Prospect Hill School to the larger schoolhouse in Pelhamville for a better education. The Board determined to send the "advanced pupils" of the Prospect Hill School to the Pelhamville School by stage coach.An account of the annual meeting appeared in a local newspaper published in Mount Vernon, New York. The account is contained in an article about a number of events that is transcribed in its entirety below, followed by a citation to its source.

Example of a 19th Century Stage from

Engraving that Appeared in Frank Leslie's

Illustrated Newspaper.

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"OUR NEARBY NEIGHBORS.-----Pelhamville.The Chronicle may be obtained in Pelhamville and vicinity from Master Fred L. Anderson who will deliver it at residence.THE NEW FACTORY. Ground was broken last Monday for a white lead factory to be built at Fifth avenue corner of Third street, on the lot owned by Mr. Glover who is also interested in the business. Mr. William Barry has the contract for the excavation and Mr. John Waugh will be foreman of the carpentering. It is exptected that this will be a small 'boom' to Pelhamville.Liberty Hose Company No. 1, held its monthly meeting last Monday evening and the names of three new members were enrolled.Mrs. Le Quesne and daughters have returned from a visit to Pawling, N. Y. Master James McSkimmon is visiting at Mr. Chaloux's.THE SCHOOL ELECTION.The annual meeting of the Board of Education of Union Free School, District No., 1 was held last Tuesday evening and was a very interesting one throughout. The meeting was called to order at 8.30 with J. R. Beecroft in the chair. John Doherty was appointed secretary. The minutes of the last annual meeting and those of a special meeting were read and approved. Mr. H. N. Babcock, President of the Board, then read the annual report, showing the following:Total receipts for past year............$9,358.59Total expenditures for past year......8,403.95Leaving a balance in treasury of...$954.64Next in order was the voting on appropriations, which were as follows:For teachers' salaries, Pelhamville........2,000" " " Prospect Hill...... 600For District Clerk's salaray.........................20For Janitor's wages..................................300For interest on bonds.................................80For books and stationery.........................120For repairs and supplies..........................600For finishing and furnishing third room in Pelhamville school..........................510For estimated tuition of advanced pupils..200For installment of special tax....................400Total......................................................$4,830There was considerable discussion about the salary of teachers for Prospect hill School. As there are such a few children attending this school it was decided to send the advanced pupils to Pelhamville School by stage and employ the present teacher for the primary department at a salary of $600. There was also a good deal of excitement over the proposed janitor whose service had already been engaged by the Board notwithstanding he was a resident of New Rochelle and a native of Italy; it was finally declared, however, to be against the rule to employ any person but a citizen of the United States. All the appropriations were voted on singly and carried by acclamation and then all together by ballot, making a total appropriation of $4,830. It was declared to be in order to vote for two trustees and a clerk to the Board. The vote was as follows: For clerk, S. Gregoor, 74, John Doherty, 46; for trustees: Charles Glover, 79, John H. Young, 61, J. R. Beecroft, 83. Whereupon Messrs. Glover and Beecroft were declared elected as trustees and S. Gregoor as clerk.The meeting adjourned at about 10:45."Source: OUR NEARBY NEIGHBORS -- Pelhamville, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 9, 1894, p. 4, cols. 1-2.

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About Me

Blake A. Bell is Town Historian and a member of the Town Council of Pelham, NY in Westchester County. He is a member of the Boards of Trustees of the Westchester County Historical Society (past member of the Executive Committee), and the Society of the National Shrine of the Bill of Rights at Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site (Chair). He served as the editor and publisher of the award-winning HistoricPelham.com Web site. He is the author of two books regarding the history of Pelham: (1) "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak" (iUniverse 2004); and (2) Town of Pelham's 350th Anniversary Celebration: Historian Blake Bell's Articles Published in The Pelham Weekly Plus Photos of Key Events (Pelham Weekly 2006). In addition, he is the author of more than 80 published articles on Pelham history and is a frequent speaker on matters relating to the history of Pelham and surrounding areas. Mr. Bell is Senior Knowledge Management Counsel with 850-lawyer Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York City.